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(N0 Model.)

A. S. HENDERSON. MUSIC OR 001w HOLDER.

No. 605,959. Patented June 21,1898. 179.1.

UNTTED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

ARTHUR S. HENDERSON, OF LOUDON, TENNESSEE.

MUSIC OR COPY HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 605,959, dated June 21,1898.

Application filed Au u t 12,1897. Serial No. 648,082. (No model.)

Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Music or Copy Holder, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to music or copy holders, and has in viewprincipally to provide a holder which will readily adjust itself tovarious thicknesses of copy or of musicsheets, so that a single sheet ora book can be equally accommodated, and in every instance the copy orsheet of music will be completely disclosed to view, and in the case ofafolded sheet or a book either can be held open without concealing anyportion of the matter inscribed'on the exposed pages thereof.

A further object is to provide a form of holder which can readilyconstitute a part of an instrument, such as an organ or piano that is tosay, can be built into or permanently attached to the same and performits functions equally well as when detachable, for it requires nomanipulation necessitating its detachment or removal. Desiderata whichhave also been kept in view are simplicity and practicability and such aconstruction as will not necessarily involve any considerable expense inmanufacture.

With the above-stated objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction andcombination of parts which arehereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaim.

The drawings which accompany and form part of this specificationillustrate one form of embodiment of the invention.

Of said drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the completeholder with its transparent cover partially open. Fig. 2 represents asimilar view with the cover and the false bottom or interior restremoved. Fig. 3 represents a cross-sectional view of the complete holderwith the cover raised by the springs, as in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the reference-letterA designates a somewhat shallowreceptacle of rectangular form, having sides a and a bottom a. A coverBis connected by hinges b with one of the longer sides of thereceptacle,said cover comprising a rectangular frame I) and a transparent center 19of glass or any other suitable material havingthe requisitetransparency. This cover is preferably arranged to be swung partly openby springs, here shown as of the torsional variety, each springcomprising an arm 0, lying along and secured to the top edge of the sideof the receptacle to which the cover is hinged, and an arm 0, projectingat right angles to the arm 0 and pressing against the under side of thecover. The edges of the receptacle sides over which said springs extendare grooved, as shown, to accommodate the same and allow the cover to beshut down tight upon the receptacle. The cover may be held closed bymeans of any suitable catch, that shown in the present instancecomprising a bent spring-arm cl, fastened to the front side of thereceptacle and having a perforation d and a-projection or pin 61 on thefront of the cover adapted to engage said perforation.

' Within the receptacle there is arranged a false bottom a, whichconstitutes an interior rest for the music or the copy and is yieldinglysupported by a number of spiral springs 6', arranged between it and thebottom a of the receptacle and preferably fastened to the latter. Thesesprings exert themselves to press the falsebottomoutwardly, and in theabsence of any interposed matter hold the same at the top of thereceptacle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, said false bottom being confinedto the receptacle by means of cornerpieces in the form of short rods f,fastened in the sides of the receptacle and extending across the cornersthereof, so as to form abutments for the false bottom.

In using the holder the sheet of music or the copy, or it may be anumber of sheets or a book, is placed upon the false bottom and thetransparent cover is closed, the false bottom yielding to an extentregulated by the amount of interposed matter, and said cover is heldclosed by the spring-catch hereinbefore described.

It will be seen that by such an arrangement as above describedself-adjustability to various thicknesses of matter is provided for inthe holder, and all the matter on the exposed page is displayed throughthe transparent cover. It Will be seen that the other objects set forthare thoroughly accomplished by this arrangement.

The cover is preferably constructed with a ledge g, which may serve asan exterior rest in a Well-known manner.

It is evident that the construction shown is susceptible of considerablevariation without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,and the appended claim is worded with this in view.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a music or copy holder, the combination of areceptacle of appropriateform having sides and a bottom, a transparent cover hinged to one of itssides, separable means for holding the cover closed, a false bottomarranged within the receptacle under the transparent 20 cover thereofand adapted to form a rest for one or more sheets or a book, springsarranged between the bottom of the receptacle and the false bottomadapted to normally press the latter outward, and springs tending toopen 25

